Standoff over Nehale honour
A war of words has erupted between the leadership of the Ondonga Traditional Authority and veteran artist Ndasuunje 'Papa' Shikongeni over the planned Nehale War commemoration.
The traditional authority insists it is not aware of the commemoration, which is planned for Etosha National Park this weekend.
Shikongeni, who chairs the commemoration committee, however, said the traditional authority leadership was unaware of it “because they are illegally occupying the offices and they do not want to be aware”.
Shikongeni this week sent out an invitation on a traditional authority letterhead inviting members of the Ondonga and other Namibians to attend the commemoration on Saturday.
Shikongeni told Namibian Sun that on Sunday he received a call from the authority's secretary, Nepando Amupanda, which turned into an argument about the planned commemoration.
“These traditional authority people, since they are illegally occupying the offices, think we are on a mission to go over their heads. Our committee was not established to deal with that, it was established before the Ondonga chaos. We are dealing with King Nehale's 1904 war commemoration. We are not dealing with those in the office because they failed to give us their appointment letters,” Shikongeni said.
He said that he used to sit with King Immanuel Kauluma Elifas, but currently he was not in a state to talk or make any decisions.
Shikongeni said their seven-member committee was established in 2016 and last year they held the first commemoration which was aimed at unveiling the place for the statue and to raise funds to erect Nehale's statue at Namutoni in Etosha National Park.
“We already have people in this committee and we are not bothered by those who want power. Our event is going ahead as planned.
We are representing the heritage of the Ondonga and nothing else,” he said.
The deputy chairperson is the dismissed traditional authority councillor and former Oshikoto governor Vilho Kamanya.
The programme indicates that the denounced successor to the king, Fillemon Nangolo Shuumbwa, will speak on behalf of the Ondonga king, while the deputy minister of environment and tourism, Tommy Nambahu, is expected to speak on behalf of the government.
Both the king's spokesperson, Naeman Amalwa, and Nepando told Namibian Sun that they were unaware of the planned event and could not comment.
Shikongeni said what they were doing was to commemorate the event following the identification of the place for Nehale's statue by King Elifas together with Founding President Sam Nujoma in 1993.
“This will be an annual commemoration until we erect a statue, irrespective of the situation,” Shikongo said.
King Nehale lya Mpingana led the historic 1904 battle at Namutoni Fort against German imperial forces.
Around 500 soldiers participated in the war, which led to the killing of about 68 Ondonga warriors. About 40 German soldiers were unaccounted for, while 20 were injured during the battle.
ILENI NANDJATO
The traditional authority insists it is not aware of the commemoration, which is planned for Etosha National Park this weekend.
Shikongeni, who chairs the commemoration committee, however, said the traditional authority leadership was unaware of it “because they are illegally occupying the offices and they do not want to be aware”.
Shikongeni this week sent out an invitation on a traditional authority letterhead inviting members of the Ondonga and other Namibians to attend the commemoration on Saturday.
Shikongeni told Namibian Sun that on Sunday he received a call from the authority's secretary, Nepando Amupanda, which turned into an argument about the planned commemoration.
“These traditional authority people, since they are illegally occupying the offices, think we are on a mission to go over their heads. Our committee was not established to deal with that, it was established before the Ondonga chaos. We are dealing with King Nehale's 1904 war commemoration. We are not dealing with those in the office because they failed to give us their appointment letters,” Shikongeni said.
He said that he used to sit with King Immanuel Kauluma Elifas, but currently he was not in a state to talk or make any decisions.
Shikongeni said their seven-member committee was established in 2016 and last year they held the first commemoration which was aimed at unveiling the place for the statue and to raise funds to erect Nehale's statue at Namutoni in Etosha National Park.
“We already have people in this committee and we are not bothered by those who want power. Our event is going ahead as planned.
We are representing the heritage of the Ondonga and nothing else,” he said.
The deputy chairperson is the dismissed traditional authority councillor and former Oshikoto governor Vilho Kamanya.
The programme indicates that the denounced successor to the king, Fillemon Nangolo Shuumbwa, will speak on behalf of the Ondonga king, while the deputy minister of environment and tourism, Tommy Nambahu, is expected to speak on behalf of the government.
Both the king's spokesperson, Naeman Amalwa, and Nepando told Namibian Sun that they were unaware of the planned event and could not comment.
Shikongeni said what they were doing was to commemorate the event following the identification of the place for Nehale's statue by King Elifas together with Founding President Sam Nujoma in 1993.
“This will be an annual commemoration until we erect a statue, irrespective of the situation,” Shikongo said.
King Nehale lya Mpingana led the historic 1904 battle at Namutoni Fort against German imperial forces.
Around 500 soldiers participated in the war, which led to the killing of about 68 Ondonga warriors. About 40 German soldiers were unaccounted for, while 20 were injured during the battle.
ILENI NANDJATO
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